Weatherizing picture frames question

[jp1]

A while back the art store across from my office was going out of business. While shopping there the day before they closed for good I noticed the sample picture frames and thought "those could make a fun art project like they do on home decorating shows." I got them to give me them for free. Since then the box has been sitting in my office gathering dust while I waited for creativity to strike. Today it struck. I think I'll try to turn them into awnings for the french doors that lead from our bedroom to our deck. They face south and let too much sun in during the winter.

The basic idea I came up with is to stack them, as they are in the picture, attached to a piece of plywood. Then use metal brackets to hang them on the tops of the doors, using a triangle of wood framing on each side to hold the "awning part" at an appropriate angle. The awning will then stay with the door as it is opened and closed. My question is how to do this in a way that they can withstand getting rained on. I can paint the plywood that they will be attached to, but will need to put some sort of polyurethane on the frame pieces. Does anyone have any advice/suggestions on how to do this that will look good and be able to withstand weather?

http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s363/jpatter492/2016-05-12%2013.23.24_zpsk76ujp4g.jpg (http://s1048.photobucket.com/user/jpatter492/media/2016-05-12%2013.23.24_zpsk76ujp4g.jpg.html)

http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/s363/jpatter492/2016-05-12%2017.50.53_zpszh0hymlr.jpg (http://s1048.photobucket.com/user/jpatter492/media/2016-05-12%2017.50.53_zpszh0hymlr.jpg.html)

[Williamsmith]

I'd be concerned with ultraviolet fading also. Perhaps the material is not best suited for the application.....not saying you can't pull this off but my solution would be a retractable deck and patio awning, sometimes referred to as a sunsetter. Beautiful French doors btw.

[jp1]

Hadn't thought about fading. You may be right. I'll have to ponder. Although truth be told, since we rent this place installing a real awning isn't really practical and these awnings hopefully only need to last a few years before we're able to move out of the city. So perhaps impermanence is acceptable. And other than construction time and a couple of pieces of wood they aren't really costing anything.

[Williamsmith]

Gotcha. Flood makes a deck treatment with a UV blocker that you could apply to the finished product. It should both protect it and keep it from fading for a year or two. Flood CWF-UV. I get it at Home Depot.